Unctions of the Spirit

I WILL NOT FORGET

By: Gary L. Rodgers

I have been prompted to write this booklet after having met in person or met through emails people who have been struggling with wars that still rage on in their lives. Some carry the guilt of having taken the life of another person while others have been plagued with scenes of comrades dying on the battlefield. No doubt that there are pains that people carry around with them that are so ridden with torment that medical and psychiatric treatments cannot reach with a cure. For those of my brethren with these many struggles I wish to offer a solution to help remedy the depth of those problems and provide a cure to their suffering. That cure can be found in the person of Jesus Christ.

THE WALL

Many of us who carry the memories of war have a sensitive side to us that will always remember those that we served with during those chaotic times. Sometimes going to a memorial and being able to touch something like “THE WALL” helps many to reach back to their comrades to tell them how much we miss them and how sorry we are for the sacrifice that they have made. War leaves many ugly scars for so many people both in the military and civilian life. Not all losses can be counted. Some are held in the recesses of the minds of people that continue on through their lifetime. I remember the first time that I went to the Wall, what a humbling experience. To see those thousands of names and all of the letters and mementos left behind. Visitors were lined up from one end of the Wall to the other gazing at and tracing the names of certain of their fellow soldiers. Just touching the Wall was in some small way the feeling of a hurt being healed. So much to remember, so much to think about. The average age of the Vietnam combatant was 19. Imagine being 19 years of age in the middle of a jungle at the start of your adult life faced with the reality of kill or be killed. You learn to grow up quick in situations like this. No time to dream and ponder, no time to explore new thoughts and ideas. Just take orders, stay low and try to make every shot count.

LIFE IS A BATTLEFIELD

Battles are something that we all face. It seems like we can’t get away from it. In Ephesians 6:10-18 we are told to put on the armour of God so that we can stand against the devil. We face spiritual battles, emotional battles and physical battles. And there are periods of trauma that we will face in these battles. But the Lord will carry us through them all.

In Hebrews 13:5 & 6 we are told – ⁵Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. ⁶So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

We can be assured that Christ walks with us through every fear and worry in our lives. I can look back through my life and point to specific times and places where the Lord has spared my life. And I’m sure that if many of you were to examine your life you could point to times and places where He spared yours as well. Those things don’t happen just by chance, the Lord has a reason behind it all. He had a mission for me in my life; first He wanted me to accept Him as my personal Lord and Savior; then He wanted me to be put on the battlefield to win souls and fight to defend the brethren. So today I write this booklet to you along with a number of others to help you and encourage you. I am to contend for the faith (Jude 1:3) and continue on in battle until the day that the Lord calls me home. I have felt the wounds of affliction, I have seen some of my comrade’s suffer a deadly blow on the battlefield, and I know the fears of the unknown and the terror of a major battle. Just a few weeks ago I found myself in a hospital fighting for my life. The battle was raging and I cried out to the Lord to spare me and give me victory over this trial. He brought me through a frightening time of eight bags of blood transfusions as I lay in the hospital in pain and weakness. On two different stays in the hospital for the things that I was suffering through, the Lord delivered into my hands an 83-year-old man and a nurse to share the gospel of Christ with. Both times the battle against Satan was on as I shared with this man and woman the gospel of Christ. Angels surrounded my room as I led this dear man and later this dear woman through prayer where they accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. The victory belongs to the Lord and we are to carry on with the standard to give hope to others to keep going forward. Fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:11) and the Lord will raise you up unto life eternal.

MY WALL OF HEROES

I have a wall of heroes that I can touch and read which gives me strength to face another day. I can trace over the names of my comrades and feel the strength of the past to give me power for the day. The wall I speak of is my bible. I can see where God led the children of Israel out of Egypt and led then through the sea on dry land. And I know that He will lead me through impossible odds and difficult situations. I can see the promise of a Savior way back in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:15. The innocent dying for the guilty that we may be clothed in righteousness provided by God. (Genesis 3:21) Jesus the innocent died for you and me the guilty so that we could be clothed in His righteousness.

There are battles that we all face, and from those battles there are scars that many of us will carry through life. But if we take all of these sorrows to the Lord He will give us a peace and forgiveness that goes beyond the worlds understanding. He will give us the victory over those torments and turn our scars into badges of honor where we can reach out and share Christ with some weary soul so that they may be snatched from the hand of Satan and be given a new life in Christ.

THE INVITATION

Dear friend, I invite you to come and feel the healing hand of the Lord. Allow Him to take away all of those past hurts and sorrows and give you a new meaning for your life. Become a soldier of the cross to stand over and defend a wounded brother or sister. Fight the battle of faith and He will give you the victory in your life. If you are ready to do that then I ask that you follow along in prayer and repeat after me.

Dear Jesus, I know what sin is, and I know that I am a sinner. I ask that you would please forgive me and wash away all of my sin with the blood that you shed for me. Please send the Holy Spirit to come too live in my heart to teach me and guide me in righteousness. I know that you personally died for me, and that you were buried in a tomb and rose from the dead for me. I believe that you are now seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. I put my complete trust in you alone as my Lord and Savior and I am trusting in you only to get me to Heaven. In your Holy and Precious Name I pray. Amen!

If you made a decision to pray and ask Christ to forgive you, and to wash away all of your sin with His blood, and to come into your heart to be your Savior, then we praise God for you.

^{Romans 10:13} For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

You should write down the:

Date: _______________________

Time: __________________________

Place: _______________________________________________________

of your decision. Record this information in your Bible as a record of that decision. It is part of your testimony.

Please contact us through Myerstown Baptist Church, 59 N. Ramona Road, Myerstown PA. 17067 to let us know that you have made a decision for Christ so that we can pray for you and rejoice with you. We would like to send you some information to help you get started in your Christian walk.

Thank you, and may the Lord richly bless you!